The High Cost of States' Killing People:

The economic downturn is being reflected in places most of us don't think about. States are having difficulty paying for essentials, and one area where states can save a chunk of money is with their penal institutions. One of the most expensive items in a states budget is capitol punishment. Killing throwaway citizens for the sake of pandering to voters costs a lot of money.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has proposed abolishing the death penalty in his state based on the argument that there is no room in the state budget to do this. Other states seem likely to follow, except of course Texas where executing people who cannot afford adequate legal representation seems to be a form of recreation. (See Ian Urbina's New York Times' story.)

The Humanities under Fire:

The economic downturn has brought the humanities—that field of study devoted to literacy, reading, writing, and thinking skills—in to question, once again, as to their true economic value. Can schools continue to justify budget lines devoted to a discipline that doesn't automatically lead to employment, like say a degree in engineering? (See Patricia Cohen's New York Times' story.)

The question isn't knew. The humanities are challenged in good economic times as well. The odd thing is that folks with strong reading, writing and analytical skills, the qualities taught within the humanities, generally become the leaders in any field of endeavor they follow. Unfortunately, it is difficult if not impossible to project concrete numbers regarding this prognosis. We know it anecdotally. And naturally there are no guarantees.